To celebrate the series' 10-year anniversary, Vanity Fair spoke with the actors, creators Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz and writer and executive producer Joshua Safran to look back at the fashionable and conniving Upper East Side students and their experience on the show.

When the actress was 18, she decided to go to college instead of continuing to act because, according to Lively, she "realized that [acting] was a business as much as a craft. People will go see your movie based on your standing and all of that, and it didn't make sense to me because I was 18 and being an artist."

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Blake Lively through the years

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Blake Lively through the years

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 22: Blake Lively attends the Apple Store Soho Presents Meet The Filmmaker: Blake Lively, 'Age of Adaline' at Apple Store Soho on April 22, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - MAY 25: (L-R) Actors Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn and America Ferrera make an appearance at Planet Hollywood to promote their new movie 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' on May 25, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

HOLLYWOOD - MAY 31: Actors Blake Lively and Mike Vogel arrive at the premiere of 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' at The Grauman's Chinese Theatre on May 31, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - JULY 20: (L-R) Actors Ed Westwick, Penn Badgley, Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and Chase Crawford arrive to the CW Television Critics Association Press Tour party at the Fountain Plaza at the Pacific Design Center on July 20, 2007 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 17: Blake Lively poses at Saks Fifth Avenue's Viva La Cure to kickoff the 'Key to the Cure' weekend at The Sea Gril on October 17, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Loud/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 15: Actress Blake Lively attends the ''7th On Sale'' gala at the 69th Regiment Armory on November 15, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - MAY 13: Actress Blake Lively arrives for the Entertainment Weekly and Vavoom annual upfront party at the Bowery Hotel on May 13, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - JULY 14: Actress Blake Lively attends Vitaminwater's MLB All-Star week celebration at Hudson Terrace on July 14, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - AUGUST 04: (U.S. TABS OUT) Actress Blake Lively appears onstage during MTV's Total Request Live at the MTV Times Square Studios August 4, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: Actress Blake Lively attends the Miss Sixty Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Tent, Bryant Park on September 7, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for IMG)

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 10: Actress Blake Lively and designer Michael Kors backstage at Michael Kors Spring 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at The Tent, Bryant Park on September 10, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for IMG)

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 21: Actress Blake Lively attends US Weekly's Hot Hollywood Issue Celebration at Skylight on October 21, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Wintrow/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 17: Blake Lively attends the 5th Anniversary of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund at Skylight Studios on November 17, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)

BERLIN - FEBRUARY 09: Actress Blake Lively attends the photocall for 'The Private Lives of Pippa Lee' as part of the 59th Berlin Film Festival at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on February 9, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

BERLIN - FEBRUARY 09: Actress Blake Lively attends the premiere for 'The Private Lives of Pippa Lee' as part of the 59th Berlin Film Festival at the Berlinal Palast on February 9, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Actress Blake Lively attends 'The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion' Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images North America)

NEW YORK - AUGUST 25: Actress Blake Lively attends a cocktail party honoring two greats at their game hosted by InStyle and Tiffany & Co. at The Cooper Square Hotel - Penthouse on August 25, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for InStyle)

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: Actresses Blake Lively (L) and Leighton Meester present the Outstanding Directing In A Comedy Series award onstage during the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 20: Actress Blake Lively attends the 2009 Angel Ball at Cipriani Wall Street on October 20, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - DECEMBER 17: Actress Blake Lively attends the New York premiere of 'Sherlock Holmes' at the Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on December 17, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - JANUARY 12: Actress Blake Lively attends the 'You Know You Want It' publication celebration at Henri Bendel on January 12, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 07: Actress Blake Lively attends Fashion's Night Out: The Show at Lincoln Center on September 7, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Conde Nast)

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 10: Actress Blake Lively and actor Jeremy Renner speak at 'The Town' press conference during the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival at the Hyatt Regency on September 10, 2010 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 11: Actress Blake Lively arrives at 'The Town' Premiere held at Roy Thomson Hall during the 35th Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2010 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Actress Blake Lively attends the Spring 2011 Eyewear collection at Tiffany & Co. on September 30, 2010 in New York, City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.)

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 14: Blake Lively poses with the award for Best TV Star at the 2011 ELLE Style Awards at the Grand Connaught Rooms on February 14, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 02: Actress Blake Lively attends an intimate dinner in her honor hosted by CHANEL at La Grenouille on March 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for CHANEL)

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 26: Actress Blake Lively attends the TIME 100 Gala, TIME'S 100 Most Influential People In The World at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 26, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Time Warner)

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 31: Actress Blake Lively, recipient of the Breakthrough Performer of the Year award, arrives at the CinemaCon awards ceremony at the Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, March 31, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 15: Actress Blake Lively attends the Museum of Modern Art's 4th Annual Film benefit 'A Tribute to Pedro Almodovar' at the Museum of Modern Art on November 15, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 27: Actress Blake Lively attends the 'Savages' New York premiere at SVA Theater on June 27, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 09: Actress Blake Lively attends the celebration of CHANEL FINE JEWELRY'S 80th anniversary of the 'Bijoux De Diamants' collection created by Gabrielle Chanel on October 9, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Chanel)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 01: Blake Lively talks on stage at the 'Chime For Change: The Sound Of Change Live' Concert at Twickenham Stadium on June 1, 2013 in London, England. Chime For Change is a global campaign for girls' and women's empowerment founded by Gucci with a founding committee comprised of Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini, Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyonce Knowles-Carter. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Gucci)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 15: Actress Blake Lively attends the H&M New Orleans Flagship Store Opening party on November 15, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Skip Bolen/Getty Images for H&M)

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 05: Blake Lively (L) and Ryan Reynolds attend the 'Charles James: Beyond Fashion' Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 14: Blake Lively attends the Opening ceremony and the 'Grace of Monaco' Premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2014 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 16: Actress Blake Lively attends God's Love We Deliver, Golden Heart Awards on October 16, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Michael Kors)

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 08: Blake Lively and Martha Stewart speak on stage at the Martha Stewart American Made Summit on November 8, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 12: Actress Blake Lively poses backstage at the Gabriela Cadena fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2015 on February 12, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for Gabriela Cadena)

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 02: Actress Blake Lively attends L'Oreal Paris' Ninth Annual Women Of Worth Celebration at The Pierre Hotel on December 2, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Blake Lively Visits 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' at Rockefeller Center on April 21, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/NBC/Getty Images for 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon')

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 19: Actress Blake Lively attends 'The Age of Adaline' premiere at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 theater on April 19, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

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2. When Lively was offered the role of Serena van der Woodsen, she first passed on the opportunity.

"I said, 'No, I want to go to college. Thank you, though.' Then they said, 'OK, you can go to Columbia [University] one day a week. After the first year [of the show], it'll quiet down. Your life will go back to normal and you can start going to school. We can't put it in writing, but we promise you can go,'" Lively recalls. "So that's why I said, 'OK. You know what? I'll do this.' This is advice to anyone: when they say, 'We promise, but we can't put it in writing,' there's a reason they can't put it in writing. But no, the show didn't slow down. It just got more and more."

3. Crawford, who played Nate Archibald, didn't see Meester portraying Blair Waldorf when he first met her.

Crawford remembers meeting Meester at his audition and first thinking, "I just don't see her as Blair Waldorf. I can't see it." After seeing her get into character, though, he recalls, "I just remember thinking, 'That girl can act. She's the perfect girl for this.'"

4. Meester's audition was "normal," nothing special.

The actress first auditioned for the role of Serena, but felt she would be better as Blair and dyed her then-blonde hair for the role.

"I think it was just the normal, typical pilot season audition for me," Meester shares. "I auditioned and then I tested once and then we did a screen test with everybody. And then, that was it . . . I dunno. I got it."

As the show became a huge hit, the actor first enjoyed his time in the spotlight, then his opinion changed. "I think I used to feel like I was fine with it, but looking back on it from a different perspective now, I never really got used to it," Crawford confesses. "I'm a private person and I don't like being the center of attention."

6. Lively and Meester were not best friends.

"Blake and Leighton were not friends. They were friendly, but they were not friends like Serena and Blair," Safran reveals, adding that everyone got along fine, but the two actresses had different personalities. "Yet the second they'd be on set together, it's as if they were."

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Leighton Meester (& Adam Brody)

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Leighton Meester (& Adam Brody)

Actors Leighton Meester (L) and Adam Brody attend the 68th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 8, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

Leighton Meester and Adam Brody attend the 68th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 8, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 08: Actors Leighton Meester (L) and Adam Brody attend the 68th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 8, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 05: Actress Leighton Meester attends the 'Charles James: Beyond Fashion' Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 14: Actress Leighton Meester attends The Cinema Society with The Hollywood Reporter & Samsung Galaxy S III host a screening of 'The Oranges' at Tribeca Screening Room on September 14, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

WESTWOOD, CA - JUNE 04: Actress Leighton Meester arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of 'That's My Boy' held at Regency Village Theatre Westwood on June 4, 2012 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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7. Lively and Badgley -- who dated for three years -- kept their breakup a secret so it wouldn't interfere with their work.

"The shocking thing was, I found out on the set of the season two finale that Blake and Penn had broken up months before," Safran shares. "They kept the breakup hidden from the crew, which you could never do now. I don't even know how they did it. They kept it from everybody which is a testament to how good they are as actors. Because they did not want their personal drama to relate to the show."

8. Badgley didn't have the greatest experience being on the show, and many other actors felt the same way after a couple of years.

"Penn didn't like being on Gossip Girl, but . . . he was Dan. He may not have liked it, but [his character] was the closest to who he was," Safran explains. "Some of the actors were not entirely happy to be there after a certain point. And no matter what we did, they were never going be happy. . . . They were kids. They were young."

Lively had landed a role in the 2012 movie Savages, which was shooting in Los Angeles, and asked to relocate the show to fit her needs. At the time, she was dating DiCaprio and it inspired the GG writers to move her character to the West Coast and create a new storyline.

"We learned a lot from Blake," Safran says. "When I think about shooting the L.A. episodes, Blake was dating [DiCaprio] at the time, and she had this thing where she had a doll that she took photos of that she sent to Leo. Blake was way ahead of the curve. It was pre-Instagram. She was documenting her life in photographs in a way that people were not yet doing."

10. Westwick still has no clue who Gossip Girl is.

"I still am not sure who GG was lol," the actor confesses.

11. Lively would be open for a revival, while Meester isn't so sure.

"Of course," Lively expresses. "I'm open to anything that's good, that's interesting, and that sort of feels necessary. . . . I imagine we all would [consider it]. I can't speak for everyone else, but we all owe so much to this show, and I think that it would be silly not to acknowledge that."

Meanwhile, Meester says, "Yeah, I don't really hear [talk of] that . . . I guess I hear that in fits and starts here and there, but it's hard to say. If everyone was into it and if the timing was right, you know? ... I don't want to say, 'No, never . . .'"